It's a long, long way away. I did take the bus - was just in time to miss mine, of course, but the next was just a few minutes behind. And what a glorious evening to take a bus trip! After all the rain we've had, it was so lovely to see the sunshine - and this route took me past the Tower. Wow, it's so long since I've been out here! (Sorry, didn't get a chance to take a photo, but it is a gem in its own right.) A crowd got on at Aldgate, and I had great fun with a very observant little girl in a buggy, whose Muslim, headscarf-clad mother smiled at me apologetically, but didn't need to - her daughter was cute as a button.
Off at Limehouse, just around the corner from The Old Ship, where I'd agreed to meet one of the group - who, as he explained, fancied a drink to unwind, on a sunny Friday evening, after a week's work. He was standing outside, though - seemed the place was full up with a private function. So instead, we decamped across the square to The Queen's Head, where we managed to get both a table and service! Friendly and efficient. And wouldn't you know it, they sell Tayto too! This must be becoming a Thing.
In due course, we decamped to Jamboree. He remembered the way, so I didn't have to - we met another of our party on the road, and the rest once we got there. And hung around outside, for a while - it was such a novelty to see blue skies. Inside, it was as eclectic as I remembered.
More photos here. Now, our organiser had speculated that the music would start at 9. In the event, it was more like half past - but when they did get going, they cooked up a storm!
Is there anyone who, having heard swing, doesn't like it? Mostly familiar tunes, they mixed it up with a few Norwegian ones. At the interval, we congregated outside in the mild evening, and we lost some as the evening progressed. As I say, it is a long way, and people had distances to travel. It is a great, cosy venue though, with some funky acts. Me, I stayed till the end this time, and many thinks to the generous dude who dropped me all the way home!
Just in time to go to bed.. today, I did doing something local - a guided walk on Residents, Rascals & Riots, in Holborn. With London for a Tenner or Less. (Dubiously, with the promise of rain!) Got a message that that group was closing as well - followed by an email invitation to take over as organiser, as one of its top members! For goodness' sake, I'd only been to seven of their Meetups.. and I'm too busy to be taking over a group I don't care about. Anyway, they've only advertised Funzing stuff, with no social element - and there are a few other groups doing that. It'd have been different, had the Man with the Hat wanted someone to take over. May it not be too long before we see him again.
Anyway, I just managed a full night's sleep, and dragged myself out of it in time. Mind you, I then got hungry, so had some breakfast, making myself a bit late. So, although I'd intended to walk to Holborn Station, where my guided walk started, I decided the better way was by Tube. And thus I disembarked, taking the Kingsway exit as instructed, and although someone, accompanied by a group of people at the top of the escalator, seemed to be smiling at me, she soon lost interest, and I continued outside.
Where a lone woman was standing with a sign for Lansdowns London, which I'd never heard of. Well, these groups often advertise under several different sources, and it was possible. And there was nobody else. So I stood near her, and after a minute or so asked her whether she had the Holborn walk. Yes! and she informed me that it'd be a private tour - no-one else had booked! 'Tisn't everyone would still go ahead. Anyway, I suppose the rain all week might have put off any other potential clients - I might have cancelled myself, but Thursday morning was the deadline for cancellation with refund, and that morning was a busy one for me!
Undaunted, off we set. As she'd mentioned at the start, we didn't cover a huge area - but oh! what an eventful one. As I said, you might pass this way a hundred times without knowing all the stories that the area holds. Not only was she full of history, but she was from the area as well, and jeez, we kept running into people that knew her! In Red Lion Square, a fellow guide wanted a word before he left on holiday, and in Rugby Street, a chap sat outside his door with a cuppa and a yoghurt, in the sunshine, turned out to have gone to primary school with her! Indeed, we passed the very house she grew up in, on the charming Great James Street.
More photos here. Stories of wartime bombings and reconstructions, and famous residents. Down Hatton Garden, which was lined with vans for the filming of a new Michael Caine film of the Hatton Garden heist.. and ending at Holborn Circus. The rain held off - till I was on my way home! We had a gorgeous, sunny walk, and this was definitely one of the most knowledgeable guides I've had, full of stories about both blue plaques, and things that weren't thought to merit one. Highly recommended.
Tomorrow, London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) is headed out of town. We're going all the way to Northampton, to see a couple of Shakespearian plays, one directed by one of her members. Richard II, to be precise, with Titus Andronicus to whet our appetites. No-one has signed up apart from me, but what the hey I've never been there, so it'll be interesting. Managed to dig out my Rough Guide to England too, when I was in Ireland last weekend - I've photocopied the bit on Northampton!
On Monday, I'm off to Ugly Lies the Bone, at the Lyttleton.
On Tuesday, I'd booked with Funzing UK for an Infinitease Burlesque Show. In Leytonstone, so if anything better came up in the meantime, I was up for it! That's a terribly long way out. Anyway, the other day I got an email about cheap tickets - apparently there's a burlesque festival on - in Hackney, which is a bit closer. And a lot cheaper. So now I'm going to that instead - Funzing can be cancelled up to 48 hours in advance without penalty.
Wednesday was supposed to be the Man with the Hat's last event, but he had to cancel. Instead, I discovered that the UL Alumni Association (UL is my alma mater) is holding a talk on Brexit that night. And I was going to go to that - but lo, Funzing came up with something better! So then I was going to Urban Legends of London. But do you know, I completely forgot to mention that the World Music Meetup then advertised a Brazilian concert in Sands Film Studios - adore that venue. So that's now where I'm going that day! and barring the proverbial accident, fire, or flood, that's final.
On Thursday, Crick Crack is back - at Crouch End Arthouse again, unfortunately. It's just so far! Still going, of course - the more especially because it's Michael Harvey! He's worth the trip. Then I'm back to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend again - and taking the bank holiday, this time!
On the 30h, LDAM are at the Olivier to see Common. So am I.. on a cheap Travelex ticket, which I booked direct with the venue. So I'll be avoiding them, since they don't appreciate that.
On the 31st, free comedy in Hammersmith was up again (temporarily), with the above groups, plus London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers (another offshoot of Ken's Events). But yay, it's now been replaced by another Funzing event - a Luxury Chocolate evening! Helen's popping along, too. The code Fun_Day10 got us a 10% discount.
On 1 June, I eschewed the free comedy in Hammersmith for the Ghosts & Executions Tour, with London for a Tenner or Less - even though that guide wasn't great the last time, so I cancelled this previously, he's better than that free comedy! Oh, and the code WELLBEING30 got me 30% off this. How it qualifies as "well-being" I don't know, but I'm not complaining!
Then I'm off down to Helen for the weekend - she told me about this Living History Festival, and I said yes please!
The 5th, I'm back to Soho Theatre with the Crick Crack Club, for something called The Frog Princess - Punked. Ben Haggerty, the mc and co-founder of the club, told us the other night that there's going to be a full punk band - goodness, who would've thought that Sally Pomme Clayton had a hidden punk side!
And the 6th June, I'm with the LEC, to see the Images Ballet Company at the Arts Depot.
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